The Department of War has posted a new commercial solutions opening, or CSO, to identify technologies that would advance the Golden Dome for America initiative, which aims to develop a next-generation missile and air defense system.
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What Are the Details of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome CSO?
The CSO, issued Thursday, is an invitation for traditional and non-traditional defense contractors and nonprofit research institutions to submit white papers and proposals for prototype projects that will directly enhance the mission effectiveness of military personnel and platforms or systems supporting the Golden Dome.
The CSO is structured as a full and open competition. DOW said multiple awards are anticipated, with scope, duration and value varying depending on the proposed technologies and their relevance to the Golden Dome mission.
Submissions will be accepted through April 1, 2031.
How Much Will the Golden Dome Program Cost?
The Pentagon has increased the Golden Dome program’s cost estimate from $175 billion to $185 billion to accelerate development of homeland defense capabilities.
Gen. Michael Guetlein, director of the Golden Dome initiative and a 2026 Wash100 Award recipient, said the higher estimate reflects additional requirements tied to space capabilities within the program’s architecture.
Why Is the US Building the Golden Dome?
The Golden Dome initiative was established in compliance with a 2025 executive order directing the Pentagon to build and deploy a missile defense shield that would protect American citizens and critical infrastructure from foreign attacks.
The order calls for capabilities to detect and defeat hypersonic, ballistic and advanced cruise missiles and other emerging threats.
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